Path-based control of smoke simulations

Yootai Kim, Raghu Machiraju, David S. Thompson

Abstract: In this paper, we propose a novel path-based control method for generating realistic smoke animations. Our method allows an animator to specify a 3D curve for the smoke to follow. Path control is then achieved using a linear (closed) feedback loop to match the velocity field obtained from a 3D flow simulation with a target velocity field. The target velocity field can be generated in a variety of ways and may include the small scale swirling motion characteristic of turbulent flows. We provide several examples of complex smoke paths to demonstrate the efficacy of our approach.